Mail-bag



STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS G. STRADER AND FREDRICK J. RUDD, OF DORSET, VIRGINIA.

MAIL-BAG.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,636, dated March 12, 1895.

I Application filed October 29,1894. erial No. 527,304. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JULIUS G. STRADER and FREDRIOK J. RUDD, of Dorset, in the county of Powhatan and State of Virginia,

have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Mail-Bags; and we dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improved mail bag; and the object of the same is to provide an improved construction for locking the same.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which tional plan view of Fig. 2.

A represents the bag proper and B the flap upon one side thereof which is adapted to fold over for closing the bag. Arranged upon the outer side of the front of the bag is the interrupted metallic strip 0 formed with the slots D arranged in line as shown.

E is a slide arranged within and adapted to move transverse of the bag as shown, and extending from this strip upward through the 5 slots D, are the bolts F having the heads G arranged thereon transversely of said slots. Arranged adjacent the inner end of one of the slots D is a staple H while the bolt movable in said slot is formed with an opening for the purpose presently to be stated.

The flap B is provided with the interrupted metallic strip I and in this strip are slots J corresponding with slots D, only that slots J are cross-slotted each at one end so that when the said flap is folded over to close the bag the bolts may project through said cross slots and their shanks move longitudinally in slots D and J when the strip E is drawn endwise for locking the bag. One of the slots J is provided with an additional cross recess K for the purpose of admitting the locking staple. When the bolt carrying strip is moved longitudinally as before stated the bolt adjacent the staple will be moved thereto and there secured by the usual mail lock. The strap L secured to the end of the strip E is adapted to fold inward over the front of the bag and fit over said bolt and the staple and behind the lock in order to properly secure the slide and prevent the same from being tampered with. Thus it will be seen that by securing the bolts as well as the strap to the staple a double looking or securing device is formed. A pull strap m on the opposite end of strip E is provided for the purpose of drawing the strip to a locking position.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the bag, the slotted flap, the longitudinally movable slide within the bag, the headed bolts carried by the slide which are movable in slots in front of the bag, the slots in the flap being enlarged at one end to admit said bolt heads, and a means for so curing the slide after the bolts have been moved forward in said flap slots, substantially as shown and described.

2. An improved mail bag having elongated slots arranged in line in its front side, the flap for the bag having similarly arranged slots enlarged at the same relative ends, one slot being enlarged at both ends, a slide within 'the bag, the headed bolts secured thereto and extended through the slots of the bag and also the enlarged ends of the slots of the flap when the latter is closed and in which slots thebolts are adapted to be moved by the slide, the staple H secured to the bag and extended through the flap at the slot having the double enlargement, and a means for securing the bolt movable in said last mentioned slot to the staple, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of the bag body, the slide within the bag, the bolts carried by the slide which extend outward through the front of the bag, a staple secured to the front of the bag, the slotted flap adapted to be en- In testimony whereof we affix our signagaged as shown by the bolts when the slide is tu'res in presence of two Witnesses. moved endwise, a stra extended from one *1 end of the slide and a apted to fit over one 5 of the bolts and the staple when they are brought together, and the lock for securing Witnesses: the bolt, the staple and the said strap in the S. S. GOODE, position described, substantially as specified. ALICE WILLIAMS. 

